British Airways is adding BlackBerry and Android smartphones to the mobile boarding pass system already widely used on the iPhone, ahead of a worldwide roll-out of the system which is planned to reach Australia next year.
The free apps replace the need to print a boarding pass or even to visit a check-in desk or kiosk at the airport, with BA sending a digital boarding pass along with other information (such as flight updates and the location and opening time of the bag drop area) direct to the smartphone.
The BlackBerry app is already available on the BlackBerry App World store, with an Android version due next month. Users must belong to BA’s Executive Club frequent flyer program (although that’s free to join on ba.com).
The mobile boarding pass can be used only on BA flights within the UK and to some two dozen European cities.
According to BA over 30,000 passengers have used the iPhone-based mobile boarding pass since the app was released in July.
A BA spokesman told Australian Business Traveller that passengers on BA flights can already use the iPhone and BlackBerry apps "to check in on any BA flight in any country that supports 'online' check in, which includes Australia."
However, the ability to use the app as a mobile boarding pass which replace the paper boarding pass "will be rolled out worldwide over the next year".
David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
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